Deep Purple – From the Setting Sun… (In Wacken) (2015)
A thunderous modern-era festival performance
Released in 2015, From the Setting Sun… (In Wacken) captures Deep Purple live at the Wacken Open Air Festival in Germany, one of the largest heavy metal festivals in the world. The album showcases the Steve Morse lineup—Ian Gillan, Steve Morse, Don Airey, Roger Glover, and Ian Paice—performing in front of a massive, energized crowd, proving that decades into their career, Deep Purple still deliver high-voltage live performances.
This release emphasizes the band’s ability to bridge generations, appealing to longtime fans while thrilling younger audiences at a major metal festival.
🎧 Mini Album Review
From the Setting Sun… (In Wacken) is explosive, precise, and exhilarating, highlighting the Steve Morse era’s strengths while maintaining the classic Deep Purple spirit.
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Steve Morse’s guitar work: Adds versatility and fluidity, giving classic riffs fresh energy.
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Ian Gillan: Powerful and commanding vocals, effortlessly navigating both new songs and classic hits.
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Don Airey: Keyboards add orchestral and modern textures, paying homage to Jon Lord while asserting his own style.
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Setlist balance: Mix of classic tracks (Highway Star, Smoke on the Water) and modern material (Rapture of the Deep, Hell to Pay).
Verdict:
A modern-era Deep Purple masterpiece capturing the band’s energy, precision, and ability to engage festival audiences at full scale.
🎶 Tracklist – Representative Highlights
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Hard Lovin’ Man
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Strange Kind of Woman
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Rapture of the Deep
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Woman from Tokyo
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Perfect Strangers
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Smoke on the Water
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Hush
The setlist combines classic Deep Purple anthems with modern compositions, reflecting the band’s dual legacy.
👥 Personnel – Steve Morse Lineup
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Ian Gillan – Vocals
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Steve Morse – Guitar
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Don Airey – Keyboards
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Roger Glover – Bass
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Ian Paice – Drums
This lineup demonstrates stability, technical skill, and versatility, blending decades of experience with contemporary performance energy.
🎼 Performance Highlights
🔥 Rapture of the Deep
A modern-era track delivered with intensity, demonstrating the band’s ability to integrate new material seamlessly into classic-heavy sets.
🌊 Smoke on the Water
Maintains its iconic riff while Morse adds subtle improvisation, energizing a massive festival crowd.
🎹 Hush
A crowd-pleaser showcasing Gillan’s expressive vocals and the band’s tight musicianship.
⚡ Highway Star
Explosive opener with fast riffs, intricate solos, and Paice’s impeccable drumming, exemplifying Deep Purple’s live prowess.
🎸 Fun Facts & Trivia
🎤 Festival energy
Wacken Open Air draws over 80,000 metal fans, and Deep Purple’s performance shows their ability to engage audiences decades into their career.
🎹 Don Airey’s keyboard mastery
Airey incorporates symphonic and rock textures, giving songs a modern feel while honoring Jon Lord’s legacy.
📀 DVD/CD release
This performance was captured for both audio and video, allowing fans to experience the full festival spectacle.
🎸 Steve Morse’s reinterpretation
Classic Deep Purple tracks are reimagined with subtle improvisation, keeping the setlist dynamic for longtime fans.
🤔 Did You Know?
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Deep Purple have been a headliner at Wacken multiple times, emphasizing their appeal to metal audiences.
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Ian Paice remains the only member to perform on every Deep Purple tour, including massive festival stages like Wacken.
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The title, From the Setting Sun, reflects the festival’s late-summer timing and the dramatic stage lighting typical of Wacken performances.
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The setlist integrates tracks spanning 40+ years of Deep Purple history, showing the band’s versatility and longevity.
🎼 Album Credits
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Recorded: 2013, Wacken Open Air, Germany
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Released: 2015
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Label: Eagle Rock / Purple Records
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Producer: Roger Glover / Deep Purple archival team
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Format: CD/DVD, digital
🧠 Legacy & Final Thoughts
From the Setting Sun… (In Wacken) demonstrates that Deep Purple remain a commanding live force in the modern era.
It showcases:
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The technical precision and improvisational skill of the Steve Morse lineup
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The band’s ability to thrill massive festival crowds
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Seamless integration of classic and modern material
For fans, this album is a celebration of Deep Purple’s enduring live power, proving that decades of experience only enhance their stage presence and musical execution.
